Anonymous wrote:I finally heard back from Airbnb. My review was removed because safety of the neighborhood is beyond a host’s control. Yes they actually put that in writing.
Do you disagree? Obviously lots of other people have stayed there and don’t feel “unsafe”. Whatever feelings you had were not the Airbnb hosts’ fault.
Is this a joke? If they have a policy of removing reviews about safety, then one has no way of knowing whether others felt safe there from reading the reviews because those reviews are removed.
Your fear for your safety was only your perception — you were never threatened or actually unsafe. I agree with the removal of your review. Truthfully you sound histrionic.
Next time instead of saying it is unsafe, try describing the surroundings — graffiti on buildings, open air drug market across the street, whatever. Be specific.
Agree with this. OP, I'm sorry but you are coming off like a really annoying Karen who is mad that Airbnb is not willing to keep up your review that was probably filled with racist and classist dog whistles. Next time, stay in a more expensive place in a nicer neighborhood. It isn't the Airbnb host's fault that you were being cheap or have desires beyond your budget.
As a single woman , I would definitely want to read this poster’s review (perception or not)!
NP who has been following thread. Same, I would want to read the OP’s review.
Sometimes feeling unsafe is just that - a feeling, that you shouldn’t dismiss, and that should not be invalidated by trolls or anyone else with insults and name calling.
If you feel unsafe, you feel unsafe. It doesn’t mean you are histrionic or a Karen or racist or classist.
People should be more alarmed that Airbnb removes reviews.
Of course we want to know what the surrounding area is like, and not just how fluffy the pillows are.
I'm sorry, but I disagree. In March, we went to Philadelphia for spring break for my kids. We stayed about 5-8 blocks from where OP said she booked in Center City and we drove through the South Philly area where OP was scared. I agree that the area might be unsafe for single females after dark, my wife said she would not feel safe walking alone. That said, it did not feel any less safe than many other city locales in virtually every major city in America. I think OP's comments in the original thread and her comments to airBnB were overly exaggerated and suggested that this shoudl be listed as one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in urban America. It was a very common inner city neighborhood where it is not recommended to walk at night. I also think that area was pretty typical of the entire South Philly area. I don't think it was particularly more or less dangerous than other parts of that neighborhood and region. If OP was a single female or a small group of females going to a concert, she should have done better research and not rented anywhere in that neighborhood.
So, I think that airBnB did the right thing. Her comment was about the neighborhood and not the individual listing. The neighborhood is what it is. Patrons like OP should not be renting in that area/neighborhood, but that's up to those customers to research the area and realize that South Philly and Center City were not appropriate places for one or a few females who were not comfortable with inner city living to rent. But it isn't about the individual listing and shouldn't be on the individual listing. Renters need to do a better job vetting the neighborhoods they want to rent in.
I’m the PP you are apparently disagreeing with.
What specific statement are you disagreeing with?
the idea that if you feel unsafe, then you feel unsafe?
Or that some individuals, eg single female travellers, may indeed want reviews that describe the surrounding area and not just the fluffiness of pillows?
Or that we should be alarmed that Airbnb removes reviews?
These were the main points. Not sure why you begin with an apology - there is nothing apologetic in your reply. You even admit your wife said she would not feel safe walking alone at night there!
Well, I'm sorry now that I misphrased that. What I disagree with is that OPs review about the neighborhood was appropriate for the airBnB rental listing. The things that OP objected to were information about the neighborhood and not about the specific unit. Moreover, these were items for which the rental owner had no control over. The rental owner cannot change the crime statistics or the relative feeling of previous renters that the area was unsafe. The OP would need to search for the crime statistics or information about the Point Breeze neighborhood and get that information for herself.
Rental owners should not be required to either provide or justify information about the neighborhood in their rental listings. That's just outside of the scope of a rental. If you have such concerns, you need to investigate the neighborhood and zone yourself. AirBnB provides the location map on each rental that shows you the neighborhood. With the zoom feature, you can find the location within a one block radius so you can definitely do research on the neighborhood if this is relevant to your rental. The fact that she didn't do that research and then blamed the rental owner for not providing that information and blames airBnB from blocking such reviews regarding subjects outside of the owner's control is wholly OP's problem.
Ok...you must be an Airbnb owner.
It’s just my opinion, as a single female traveller, that Airbnb should allow reviewers to comment on safety of the location of the rental. Owners should be allowed to provide rebuttal if they want.
If Airbnb is deleting reviews, a very obvious disclaimer that reviews cannot comment on safety of location, and are removed, would be helpful.
I agree with this and I pointed it out earlier. But, I don't think OP's story lines up because I literally have seen (and shared!) reviews on airbnb that describe safety of an area in relative terms. And I shared one! AND you have airbnb hosts saying they CAN'T delete reviews. And I've *seen* 1 star reviews with my own eyes. All the time.
So it's not a matter of defending airbnb's policy of commenting on safety or not, because I don't believe OP saying they said that she wasn't allowed to do so. I don't believe that airbnb HAS a policy like that. I 100% think there's more to the story here and we're getting a sliver of what actually happened.
Well, we'll let everyone judge for themselves, this is the response I got from airbnb customer service:
Thank you for patiently waiting for my response.
In regard to this matter, please be advised that the review left was more on outside the listing and more on about the neighborhood which the Host doesn't have any control of it.
Thus, the review is removed.
|hope I was able to answer your questions and concerns. While I understand this may not be the outcome you were hoping for, I hope that you have many positive experiences with Airbnb moving forward.
Please let us know whether we can still be of help; otherwise, we'll close out this issue for the time being. I would be just right here for you! want you to know that you're not alone and I'm always here to help.
Wow, that is a poorly written response. Very unprofessional.
It might be poorly written, it it’s reasonable. Leaving a review about the “safety of the neighborhood” (OP didn’t even stay there so how would she know?) wasn’t a review about the Airbnb itself.
It would be highly influential to ANY perspective renter.
This is enough to make me never consider using AirBNB again.
I mean… exactly? OP used a lot of ridiculous language in her posts, so I assume her review was no different. Trashing an entire neighborhood could affect lot of hosts, not just this one. And OP hasn’t given any evidence this airbnb was unsafe other than her feelings and apparently vacant buildings and a shooting 10 blocks away. By that standard, nowhere in DC would be “safe” either.
Again, why lie? Three shootings within two blocks. Two shootings in Point Breeze that very night, five victims, including an eleven year old. Lots of empty and abandoned buildings surrounding the listing. That doesn’t describe any block I’d want to stay on, and I don’t believe most people would either.
Leave the review up and let people decide for themselves. Apparently you believe it wouldn’t influence anyone anyway.
Anonymous wrote:I finally heard back from Airbnb. My review was removed because safety of the neighborhood is beyond a host’s control. Yes they actually put that in writing.
Do you disagree? Obviously lots of other people have stayed there and don’t feel “unsafe”. Whatever feelings you had were not the Airbnb hosts’ fault.
Is this a joke? If they have a policy of removing reviews about safety, then one has no way of knowing whether others felt safe there from reading the reviews because those reviews are removed.
Your fear for your safety was only your perception — you were never threatened or actually unsafe. I agree with the removal of your review. Truthfully you sound histrionic.
Next time instead of saying it is unsafe, try describing the surroundings — graffiti on buildings, open air drug market across the street, whatever. Be specific.
Agree with this. OP, I'm sorry but you are coming off like a really annoying Karen who is mad that Airbnb is not willing to keep up your review that was probably filled with racist and classist dog whistles. Next time, stay in a more expensive place in a nicer neighborhood. It isn't the Airbnb host's fault that you were being cheap or have desires beyond your budget.
As a single woman , I would definitely want to read this poster’s review (perception or not)!
NP who has been following thread. Same, I would want to read the OP’s review.
Sometimes feeling unsafe is just that - a feeling, that you shouldn’t dismiss, and that should not be invalidated by trolls or anyone else with insults and name calling.
If you feel unsafe, you feel unsafe. It doesn’t mean you are histrionic or a Karen or racist or classist.
People should be more alarmed that Airbnb removes reviews.
Of course we want to know what the surrounding area is like, and not just how fluffy the pillows are.
I'm sorry, but I disagree. In March, we went to Philadelphia for spring break for my kids. We stayed about 5-8 blocks from where OP said she booked in Center City and we drove through the South Philly area where OP was scared. I agree that the area might be unsafe for single females after dark, my wife said she would not feel safe walking alone. That said, it did not feel any less safe than many other city locales in virtually every major city in America. I think OP's comments in the original thread and her comments to airBnB were overly exaggerated and suggested that this shoudl be listed as one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in urban America. It was a very common inner city neighborhood where it is not recommended to walk at night. I also think that area was pretty typical of the entire South Philly area. I don't think it was particularly more or less dangerous than other parts of that neighborhood and region. If OP was a single female or a small group of females going to a concert, she should have done better research and not rented anywhere in that neighborhood.
So, I think that airBnB did the right thing. Her comment was about the neighborhood and not the individual listing. The neighborhood is what it is. Patrons like OP should not be renting in that area/neighborhood, but that's up to those customers to research the area and realize that South Philly and Center City were not appropriate places for one or a few females who were not comfortable with inner city living to rent. But it isn't about the individual listing and shouldn't be on the individual listing. Renters need to do a better job vetting the neighborhoods they want to rent in.
I’m the PP you are apparently disagreeing with.
What specific statement are you disagreeing with?
the idea that if you feel unsafe, then you feel unsafe?
Or that some individuals, eg single female travellers, may indeed want reviews that describe the surrounding area and not just the fluffiness of pillows?
Or that we should be alarmed that Airbnb removes reviews?
These were the main points. Not sure why you begin with an apology - there is nothing apologetic in your reply. You even admit your wife said she would not feel safe walking alone at night there!
Well, I'm sorry now that I misphrased that. What I disagree with is that OPs review about the neighborhood was appropriate for the airBnB rental listing. The things that OP objected to were information about the neighborhood and not about the specific unit. Moreover, these were items for which the rental owner had no control over. The rental owner cannot change the crime statistics or the relative feeling of previous renters that the area was unsafe. The OP would need to search for the crime statistics or information about the Point Breeze neighborhood and get that information for herself.
Rental owners should not be required to either provide or justify information about the neighborhood in their rental listings. That's just outside of the scope of a rental. If you have such concerns, you need to investigate the neighborhood and zone yourself. AirBnB provides the location map on each rental that shows you the neighborhood. With the zoom feature, you can find the location within a one block radius so you can definitely do research on the neighborhood if this is relevant to your rental. The fact that she didn't do that research and then blamed the rental owner for not providing that information and blames airBnB from blocking such reviews regarding subjects outside of the owner's control is wholly OP's problem.
Ok...you must be an Airbnb owner.
It’s just my opinion, as a single female traveller, that Airbnb should allow reviewers to comment on safety of the location of the rental. Owners should be allowed to provide rebuttal if they want.
If Airbnb is deleting reviews, a very obvious disclaimer that reviews cannot comment on safety of location, and are removed, would be helpful.
I agree with this and I pointed it out earlier. But, I don't think OP's story lines up because I literally have seen (and shared!) reviews on airbnb that describe safety of an area in relative terms. And I shared one! AND you have airbnb hosts saying they CAN'T delete reviews. And I've *seen* 1 star reviews with my own eyes. All the time.
So it's not a matter of defending airbnb's policy of commenting on safety or not, because I don't believe OP saying they said that she wasn't allowed to do so. I don't believe that airbnb HAS a policy like that. I 100% think there's more to the story here and we're getting a sliver of what actually happened.
Well, we'll let everyone judge for themselves, this is the response I got from airbnb customer service:
Thank you for patiently waiting for my response.
In regard to this matter, please be advised that the review left was more on outside the listing and more on about the neighborhood which the Host doesn't have any control of it.
Thus, the review is removed.
|hope I was able to answer your questions and concerns. While I understand this may not be the outcome you were hoping for, I hope that you have many positive experiences with Airbnb moving forward.
Please let us know whether we can still be of help; otherwise, we'll close out this issue for the time being. I would be just right here for you! want you to know that you're not alone and I'm always here to help.
Wow, that is a poorly written response. Very unprofessional.
It might be poorly written, it it’s reasonable. Leaving a review about the “safety of the neighborhood” (OP didn’t even stay there so how would she know?) wasn’t a review about the Airbnb itself.
So pathetic, I stayed there long enough to know that a house on a block that was half abandoned wasn’t safe. The review was abut the safety of the rental, which is of course a function of its immediate surroundings.
This OP doesn't care that 90% of responses on TWO threads about this tell her she's wrong.
She's right, hell or high numbers of for rent signs
Anonymous wrote:I finally heard back from Airbnb. My review was removed because safety of the neighborhood is beyond a host’s control. Yes they actually put that in writing.
Do you disagree? Obviously lots of other people have stayed there and don’t feel “unsafe”. Whatever feelings you had were not the Airbnb hosts’ fault.
Is this a joke? If they have a policy of removing reviews about safety, then one has no way of knowing whether others felt safe there from reading the reviews because those reviews are removed.
Your fear for your safety was only your perception — you were never threatened or actually unsafe. I agree with the removal of your review. Truthfully you sound histrionic.
Next time instead of saying it is unsafe, try describing the surroundings — graffiti on buildings, open air drug market across the street, whatever. Be specific.
Agree with this. OP, I'm sorry but you are coming off like a really annoying Karen who is mad that Airbnb is not willing to keep up your review that was probably filled with racist and classist dog whistles. Next time, stay in a more expensive place in a nicer neighborhood. It isn't the Airbnb host's fault that you were being cheap or have desires beyond your budget.
As a single woman , I would definitely want to read this poster’s review (perception or not)!
NP who has been following thread. Same, I would want to read the OP’s review.
Sometimes feeling unsafe is just that - a feeling, that you shouldn’t dismiss, and that should not be invalidated by trolls or anyone else with insults and name calling.
If you feel unsafe, you feel unsafe. It doesn’t mean you are histrionic or a Karen or racist or classist.
People should be more alarmed that Airbnb removes reviews.
Of course we want to know what the surrounding area is like, and not just how fluffy the pillows are.
I'm sorry, but I disagree. In March, we went to Philadelphia for spring break for my kids. We stayed about 5-8 blocks from where OP said she booked in Center City and we drove through the South Philly area where OP was scared. I agree that the area might be unsafe for single females after dark, my wife said she would not feel safe walking alone. That said, it did not feel any less safe than many other city locales in virtually every major city in America. I think OP's comments in the original thread and her comments to airBnB were overly exaggerated and suggested that this shoudl be listed as one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in urban America. It was a very common inner city neighborhood where it is not recommended to walk at night. I also think that area was pretty typical of the entire South Philly area. I don't think it was particularly more or less dangerous than other parts of that neighborhood and region. If OP was a single female or a small group of females going to a concert, she should have done better research and not rented anywhere in that neighborhood.
So, I think that airBnB did the right thing. Her comment was about the neighborhood and not the individual listing. The neighborhood is what it is. Patrons like OP should not be renting in that area/neighborhood, but that's up to those customers to research the area and realize that South Philly and Center City were not appropriate places for one or a few females who were not comfortable with inner city living to rent. But it isn't about the individual listing and shouldn't be on the individual listing. Renters need to do a better job vetting the neighborhoods they want to rent in.
I’m the PP you are apparently disagreeing with.
What specific statement are you disagreeing with?
the idea that if you feel unsafe, then you feel unsafe?
Or that some individuals, eg single female travellers, may indeed want reviews that describe the surrounding area and not just the fluffiness of pillows?
Or that we should be alarmed that Airbnb removes reviews?
These were the main points. Not sure why you begin with an apology - there is nothing apologetic in your reply. You even admit your wife said she would not feel safe walking alone at night there!
Well, I'm sorry now that I misphrased that. What I disagree with is that OPs review about the neighborhood was appropriate for the airBnB rental listing. The things that OP objected to were information about the neighborhood and not about the specific unit. Moreover, these were items for which the rental owner had no control over. The rental owner cannot change the crime statistics or the relative feeling of previous renters that the area was unsafe. The OP would need to search for the crime statistics or information about the Point Breeze neighborhood and get that information for herself.
Rental owners should not be required to either provide or justify information about the neighborhood in their rental listings. That's just outside of the scope of a rental. If you have such concerns, you need to investigate the neighborhood and zone yourself. AirBnB provides the location map on each rental that shows you the neighborhood. With the zoom feature, you can find the location within a one block radius so you can definitely do research on the neighborhood if this is relevant to your rental. The fact that she didn't do that research and then blamed the rental owner for not providing that information and blames airBnB from blocking such reviews regarding subjects outside of the owner's control is wholly OP's problem.
Ok...you must be an Airbnb owner.
It’s just my opinion, as a single female traveller, that Airbnb should allow reviewers to comment on safety of the location of the rental. Owners should be allowed to provide rebuttal if they want.
If Airbnb is deleting reviews, a very obvious disclaimer that reviews cannot comment on safety of location, and are removed, would be helpful.
I agree with this and I pointed it out earlier. But, I don't think OP's story lines up because I literally have seen (and shared!) reviews on airbnb that describe safety of an area in relative terms. And I shared one! AND you have airbnb hosts saying they CAN'T delete reviews. And I've *seen* 1 star reviews with my own eyes. All the time.
So it's not a matter of defending airbnb's policy of commenting on safety or not, because I don't believe OP saying they said that she wasn't allowed to do so. I don't believe that airbnb HAS a policy like that. I 100% think there's more to the story here and we're getting a sliver of what actually happened.
Well, we'll let everyone judge for themselves, this is the response I got from airbnb customer service:
Thank you for patiently waiting for my response.
In regard to this matter, please be advised that the review left was more on outside the listing and more on about the neighborhood which the Host doesn't have any control of it.
Thus, the review is removed.
|hope I was able to answer your questions and concerns. While I understand this may not be the outcome you were hoping for, I hope that you have many positive experiences with Airbnb moving forward.
Please let us know whether we can still be of help; otherwise, we'll close out this issue for the time being. I would be just right here for you! want you to know that you're not alone and I'm always here to help.
Wow, that is a poorly written response. Very unprofessional.
It might be poorly written, it it’s reasonable. Leaving a review about the “safety of the neighborhood” (OP didn’t even stay there so how would she know?) wasn’t a review about the Airbnb itself.
So pathetic, I stayed there long enough to know that a house on a block that was half abandoned wasn’t safe. The review was abut the safety of the rental, which is of course a function of its immediate surroundings.
This OP doesn't care that 90% of responses on TWO threads about this tell her she's wrong.
She's right, hell or high numbers of for rent signs
Anonymous wrote:I finally heard back from Airbnb. My review was removed because safety of the neighborhood is beyond a host’s control. Yes they actually put that in writing.
Do you disagree? Obviously lots of other people have stayed there and don’t feel “unsafe”. Whatever feelings you had were not the Airbnb hosts’ fault.
Is this a joke? If they have a policy of removing reviews about safety, then one has no way of knowing whether others felt safe there from reading the reviews because those reviews are removed.
Your fear for your safety was only your perception — you were never threatened or actually unsafe. I agree with the removal of your review. Truthfully you sound histrionic.
Next time instead of saying it is unsafe, try describing the surroundings — graffiti on buildings, open air drug market across the street, whatever. Be specific.
Agree with this. OP, I'm sorry but you are coming off like a really annoying Karen who is mad that Airbnb is not willing to keep up your review that was probably filled with racist and classist dog whistles. Next time, stay in a more expensive place in a nicer neighborhood. It isn't the Airbnb host's fault that you were being cheap or have desires beyond your budget.
As a single woman , I would definitely want to read this poster’s review (perception or not)!
NP who has been following thread. Same, I would want to read the OP’s review.
Sometimes feeling unsafe is just that - a feeling, that you shouldn’t dismiss, and that should not be invalidated by trolls or anyone else with insults and name calling.
If you feel unsafe, you feel unsafe. It doesn’t mean you are histrionic or a Karen or racist or classist.
People should be more alarmed that Airbnb removes reviews.
Of course we want to know what the surrounding area is like, and not just how fluffy the pillows are.
I'm sorry, but I disagree. In March, we went to Philadelphia for spring break for my kids. We stayed about 5-8 blocks from where OP said she booked in Center City and we drove through the South Philly area where OP was scared. I agree that the area might be unsafe for single females after dark, my wife said she would not feel safe walking alone. That said, it did not feel any less safe than many other city locales in virtually every major city in America. I think OP's comments in the original thread and her comments to airBnB were overly exaggerated and suggested that this shoudl be listed as one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in urban America. It was a very common inner city neighborhood where it is not recommended to walk at night. I also think that area was pretty typical of the entire South Philly area. I don't think it was particularly more or less dangerous than other parts of that neighborhood and region. If OP was a single female or a small group of females going to a concert, she should have done better research and not rented anywhere in that neighborhood.
So, I think that airBnB did the right thing. Her comment was about the neighborhood and not the individual listing. The neighborhood is what it is. Patrons like OP should not be renting in that area/neighborhood, but that's up to those customers to research the area and realize that South Philly and Center City were not appropriate places for one or a few females who were not comfortable with inner city living to rent. But it isn't about the individual listing and shouldn't be on the individual listing. Renters need to do a better job vetting the neighborhoods they want to rent in.
I’m the PP you are apparently disagreeing with.
What specific statement are you disagreeing with?
the idea that if you feel unsafe, then you feel unsafe?
Or that some individuals, eg single female travellers, may indeed want reviews that describe the surrounding area and not just the fluffiness of pillows?
Or that we should be alarmed that Airbnb removes reviews?
These were the main points. Not sure why you begin with an apology - there is nothing apologetic in your reply. You even admit your wife said she would not feel safe walking alone at night there!
Well, I'm sorry now that I misphrased that. What I disagree with is that OPs review about the neighborhood was appropriate for the airBnB rental listing. The things that OP objected to were information about the neighborhood and not about the specific unit. Moreover, these were items for which the rental owner had no control over. The rental owner cannot change the crime statistics or the relative feeling of previous renters that the area was unsafe. The OP would need to search for the crime statistics or information about the Point Breeze neighborhood and get that information for herself.
Rental owners should not be required to either provide or justify information about the neighborhood in their rental listings. That's just outside of the scope of a rental. If you have such concerns, you need to investigate the neighborhood and zone yourself. AirBnB provides the location map on each rental that shows you the neighborhood. With the zoom feature, you can find the location within a one block radius so you can definitely do research on the neighborhood if this is relevant to your rental. The fact that she didn't do that research and then blamed the rental owner for not providing that information and blames airBnB from blocking such reviews regarding subjects outside of the owner's control is wholly OP's problem.
Ok...you must be an Airbnb owner.
It’s just my opinion, as a single female traveller, that Airbnb should allow reviewers to comment on safety of the location of the rental. Owners should be allowed to provide rebuttal if they want.
If Airbnb is deleting reviews, a very obvious disclaimer that reviews cannot comment on safety of location, and are removed, would be helpful.
I agree with this and I pointed it out earlier. But, I don't think OP's story lines up because I literally have seen (and shared!) reviews on airbnb that describe safety of an area in relative terms. And I shared one! AND you have airbnb hosts saying they CAN'T delete reviews. And I've *seen* 1 star reviews with my own eyes. All the time.
So it's not a matter of defending airbnb's policy of commenting on safety or not, because I don't believe OP saying they said that she wasn't allowed to do so. I don't believe that airbnb HAS a policy like that. I 100% think there's more to the story here and we're getting a sliver of what actually happened.
Well, we'll let everyone judge for themselves, this is the response I got from airbnb customer service:
Thank you for patiently waiting for my response.
In regard to this matter, please be advised that the review left was more on outside the listing and more on about the neighborhood which the Host doesn't have any control of it.
Thus, the review is removed.
|hope I was able to answer your questions and concerns. While I understand this may not be the outcome you were hoping for, I hope that you have many positive experiences with Airbnb moving forward.
Please let us know whether we can still be of help; otherwise, we'll close out this issue for the time being. I would be just right here for you! want you to know that you're not alone and I'm always here to help.
Wow, that is a poorly written response. Very unprofessional.
It might be poorly written, it it’s reasonable. Leaving a review about the “safety of the neighborhood” (OP didn’t even stay there so how would she know?) wasn’t a review about the Airbnb itself.
So pathetic, I stayed there long enough to know that a house on a block that was half abandoned wasn’t safe. The review was abut the safety of the rental, which is of course a function of its immediate surroundings.
This OP doesn't care that 90% of responses on TWO threads about this tell her she's wrong.
She's right, hell or high numbers of for rent signs
Airbnb host back again.
Nope and I'm just glad this one is still up so Jeff has to talk about it in his write ups
Anonymous wrote:I finally heard back from Airbnb. My review was removed because safety of the neighborhood is beyond a host’s control. Yes they actually put that in writing.
Do you disagree? Obviously lots of other people have stayed there and don’t feel “unsafe”. Whatever feelings you had were not the Airbnb hosts’ fault.
Is this a joke? If they have a policy of removing reviews about safety, then one has no way of knowing whether others felt safe there from reading the reviews because those reviews are removed.
Your fear for your safety was only your perception — you were never threatened or actually unsafe. I agree with the removal of your review. Truthfully you sound histrionic.
Next time instead of saying it is unsafe, try describing the surroundings — graffiti on buildings, open air drug market across the street, whatever. Be specific.
Agree with this. OP, I'm sorry but you are coming off like a really annoying Karen who is mad that Airbnb is not willing to keep up your review that was probably filled with racist and classist dog whistles. Next time, stay in a more expensive place in a nicer neighborhood. It isn't the Airbnb host's fault that you were being cheap or have desires beyond your budget.
As a single woman , I would definitely want to read this poster’s review (perception or not)!
NP who has been following thread. Same, I would want to read the OP’s review.
Sometimes feeling unsafe is just that - a feeling, that you shouldn’t dismiss, and that should not be invalidated by trolls or anyone else with insults and name calling.
If you feel unsafe, you feel unsafe. It doesn’t mean you are histrionic or a Karen or racist or classist.
People should be more alarmed that Airbnb removes reviews.
Of course we want to know what the surrounding area is like, and not just how fluffy the pillows are.
I'm sorry, but I disagree. In March, we went to Philadelphia for spring break for my kids. We stayed about 5-8 blocks from where OP said she booked in Center City and we drove through the South Philly area where OP was scared. I agree that the area might be unsafe for single females after dark, my wife said she would not feel safe walking alone. That said, it did not feel any less safe than many other city locales in virtually every major city in America. I think OP's comments in the original thread and her comments to airBnB were overly exaggerated and suggested that this shoudl be listed as one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in urban America. It was a very common inner city neighborhood where it is not recommended to walk at night. I also think that area was pretty typical of the entire South Philly area. I don't think it was particularly more or less dangerous than other parts of that neighborhood and region. If OP was a single female or a small group of females going to a concert, she should have done better research and not rented anywhere in that neighborhood.
So, I think that airBnB did the right thing. Her comment was about the neighborhood and not the individual listing. The neighborhood is what it is. Patrons like OP should not be renting in that area/neighborhood, but that's up to those customers to research the area and realize that South Philly and Center City were not appropriate places for one or a few females who were not comfortable with inner city living to rent. But it isn't about the individual listing and shouldn't be on the individual listing. Renters need to do a better job vetting the neighborhoods they want to rent in.
I’m the PP you are apparently disagreeing with.
What specific statement are you disagreeing with?
the idea that if you feel unsafe, then you feel unsafe?
Or that some individuals, eg single female travellers, may indeed want reviews that describe the surrounding area and not just the fluffiness of pillows?
Or that we should be alarmed that Airbnb removes reviews?
These were the main points. Not sure why you begin with an apology - there is nothing apologetic in your reply. You even admit your wife said she would not feel safe walking alone at night there!
Well, I'm sorry now that I misphrased that. What I disagree with is that OPs review about the neighborhood was appropriate for the airBnB rental listing. The things that OP objected to were information about the neighborhood and not about the specific unit. Moreover, these were items for which the rental owner had no control over. The rental owner cannot change the crime statistics or the relative feeling of previous renters that the area was unsafe. The OP would need to search for the crime statistics or information about the Point Breeze neighborhood and get that information for herself.
Rental owners should not be required to either provide or justify information about the neighborhood in their rental listings. That's just outside of the scope of a rental. If you have such concerns, you need to investigate the neighborhood and zone yourself. AirBnB provides the location map on each rental that shows you the neighborhood. With the zoom feature, you can find the location within a one block radius so you can definitely do research on the neighborhood if this is relevant to your rental. The fact that she didn't do that research and then blamed the rental owner for not providing that information and blames airBnB from blocking such reviews regarding subjects outside of the owner's control is wholly OP's problem.
Ok...you must be an Airbnb owner.
It’s just my opinion, as a single female traveller, that Airbnb should allow reviewers to comment on safety of the location of the rental. Owners should be allowed to provide rebuttal if they want.
If Airbnb is deleting reviews, a very obvious disclaimer that reviews cannot comment on safety of location, and are removed, would be helpful.
I agree with this and I pointed it out earlier. But, I don't think OP's story lines up because I literally have seen (and shared!) reviews on airbnb that describe safety of an area in relative terms. And I shared one! AND you have airbnb hosts saying they CAN'T delete reviews. And I've *seen* 1 star reviews with my own eyes. All the time.
So it's not a matter of defending airbnb's policy of commenting on safety or not, because I don't believe OP saying they said that she wasn't allowed to do so. I don't believe that airbnb HAS a policy like that. I 100% think there's more to the story here and we're getting a sliver of what actually happened.
Well, we'll let everyone judge for themselves, this is the response I got from airbnb customer service:
Thank you for patiently waiting for my response.
In regard to this matter, please be advised that the review left was more on outside the listing and more on about the neighborhood which the Host doesn't have any control of it.
Thus, the review is removed.
|hope I was able to answer your questions and concerns. While I understand this may not be the outcome you were hoping for, I hope that you have many positive experiences with Airbnb moving forward.
Please let us know whether we can still be of help; otherwise, we'll close out this issue for the time being. I would be just right here for you! want you to know that you're not alone and I'm always here to help.
Wow, that is a poorly written response. Very unprofessional.
It might be poorly written, it it’s reasonable. Leaving a review about the “safety of the neighborhood” (OP didn’t even stay there so how would she know?) wasn’t a review about the Airbnb itself.
So pathetic, I stayed there long enough to know that a house on a block that was half abandoned wasn’t safe. The review was abut the safety of the rental, which is of course a function of its immediate surroundings.
This OP doesn't care that 90% of responses on TWO threads about this tell her she's wrong.
She's right, hell or high numbers of for rent signs
Airbnb host back again.
Nope and I'm just glad this one is still up so Jeff has to talk about it in his write ups
OP here, me too. Every potential renter should know airbnb deletes negative reviews.
Anonymous wrote:I finally heard back from Airbnb. My review was removed because safety of the neighborhood is beyond a host’s control. Yes they actually put that in writing.
Do you disagree? Obviously lots of other people have stayed there and don’t feel “unsafe”. Whatever feelings you had were not the Airbnb hosts’ fault.
Is this a joke? If they have a policy of removing reviews about safety, then one has no way of knowing whether others felt safe there from reading the reviews because those reviews are removed.
Your fear for your safety was only your perception — you were never threatened or actually unsafe. I agree with the removal of your review. Truthfully you sound histrionic.
Next time instead of saying it is unsafe, try describing the surroundings — graffiti on buildings, open air drug market across the street, whatever. Be specific.
Agree with this. OP, I'm sorry but you are coming off like a really annoying Karen who is mad that Airbnb is not willing to keep up your review that was probably filled with racist and classist dog whistles. Next time, stay in a more expensive place in a nicer neighborhood. It isn't the Airbnb host's fault that you were being cheap or have desires beyond your budget.
As a single woman , I would definitely want to read this poster’s review (perception or not)!
NP who has been following thread. Same, I would want to read the OP’s review.
Sometimes feeling unsafe is just that - a feeling, that you shouldn’t dismiss, and that should not be invalidated by trolls or anyone else with insults and name calling.
If you feel unsafe, you feel unsafe. It doesn’t mean you are histrionic or a Karen or racist or classist.
People should be more alarmed that Airbnb removes reviews.
Of course we want to know what the surrounding area is like, and not just how fluffy the pillows are.
I'm sorry, but I disagree. In March, we went to Philadelphia for spring break for my kids. We stayed about 5-8 blocks from where OP said she booked in Center City and we drove through the South Philly area where OP was scared. I agree that the area might be unsafe for single females after dark, my wife said she would not feel safe walking alone. That said, it did not feel any less safe than many other city locales in virtually every major city in America. I think OP's comments in the original thread and her comments to airBnB were overly exaggerated and suggested that this shoudl be listed as one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in urban America. It was a very common inner city neighborhood where it is not recommended to walk at night. I also think that area was pretty typical of the entire South Philly area. I don't think it was particularly more or less dangerous than other parts of that neighborhood and region. If OP was a single female or a small group of females going to a concert, she should have done better research and not rented anywhere in that neighborhood.
So, I think that airBnB did the right thing. Her comment was about the neighborhood and not the individual listing. The neighborhood is what it is. Patrons like OP should not be renting in that area/neighborhood, but that's up to those customers to research the area and realize that South Philly and Center City were not appropriate places for one or a few females who were not comfortable with inner city living to rent. But it isn't about the individual listing and shouldn't be on the individual listing. Renters need to do a better job vetting the neighborhoods they want to rent in.
I’m the PP you are apparently disagreeing with.
What specific statement are you disagreeing with?
the idea that if you feel unsafe, then you feel unsafe?
Or that some individuals, eg single female travellers, may indeed want reviews that describe the surrounding area and not just the fluffiness of pillows?
Or that we should be alarmed that Airbnb removes reviews?
These were the main points. Not sure why you begin with an apology - there is nothing apologetic in your reply. You even admit your wife said she would not feel safe walking alone at night there!
Well, I'm sorry now that I misphrased that. What I disagree with is that OPs review about the neighborhood was appropriate for the airBnB rental listing. The things that OP objected to were information about the neighborhood and not about the specific unit. Moreover, these were items for which the rental owner had no control over. The rental owner cannot change the crime statistics or the relative feeling of previous renters that the area was unsafe. The OP would need to search for the crime statistics or information about the Point Breeze neighborhood and get that information for herself.
Rental owners should not be required to either provide or justify information about the neighborhood in their rental listings. That's just outside of the scope of a rental. If you have such concerns, you need to investigate the neighborhood and zone yourself. AirBnB provides the location map on each rental that shows you the neighborhood. With the zoom feature, you can find the location within a one block radius so you can definitely do research on the neighborhood if this is relevant to your rental. The fact that she didn't do that research and then blamed the rental owner for not providing that information and blames airBnB from blocking such reviews regarding subjects outside of the owner's control is wholly OP's problem.
Ok...you must be an Airbnb owner.
It’s just my opinion, as a single female traveller, that Airbnb should allow reviewers to comment on safety of the location of the rental. Owners should be allowed to provide rebuttal if they want.
If Airbnb is deleting reviews, a very obvious disclaimer that reviews cannot comment on safety of location, and are removed, would be helpful.
I agree with this and I pointed it out earlier. But, I don't think OP's story lines up because I literally have seen (and shared!) reviews on airbnb that describe safety of an area in relative terms. And I shared one! AND you have airbnb hosts saying they CAN'T delete reviews. And I've *seen* 1 star reviews with my own eyes. All the time.
So it's not a matter of defending airbnb's policy of commenting on safety or not, because I don't believe OP saying they said that she wasn't allowed to do so. I don't believe that airbnb HAS a policy like that. I 100% think there's more to the story here and we're getting a sliver of what actually happened.
Well, we'll let everyone judge for themselves, this is the response I got from airbnb customer service:
Thank you for patiently waiting for my response.
In regard to this matter, please be advised that the review left was more on outside the listing and more on about the neighborhood which the Host doesn't have any control of it.
Thus, the review is removed.
|hope I was able to answer your questions and concerns. While I understand this may not be the outcome you were hoping for, I hope that you have many positive experiences with Airbnb moving forward.
Please let us know whether we can still be of help; otherwise, we'll close out this issue for the time being. I would be just right here for you! want you to know that you're not alone and I'm always here to help.
Wow, that is a poorly written response. Very unprofessional.
It might be poorly written, it it’s reasonable. Leaving a review about the “safety of the neighborhood” (OP didn’t even stay there so how would she know?) wasn’t a review about the Airbnb itself.
So pathetic, I stayed there long enough to know that a house on a block that was half abandoned wasn’t safe. The review was abut the safety of the rental, which is of course a function of its immediate surroundings.
This OP doesn't care that 90% of responses on TWO threads about this tell her she's wrong.
She's right, hell or high numbers of for rent signs
Actually it sounds like the same 1-3 posters responding over and over again, in an angry demeaning way.
OP, perhaps you should have said “the neighborhood has a lot of vacant buildings” and all the other objective things you thought were a problem. The fact that you said it “felt unsafe” doesnt matter. Your feelings don’t matter. Write about the facts. Can you resubmit a review?
Anonymous wrote:I finally heard back from Airbnb. My review was removed because safety of the neighborhood is beyond a host’s control. Yes they actually put that in writing.
Do you disagree? Obviously lots of other people have stayed there and don’t feel “unsafe”. Whatever feelings you had were not the Airbnb hosts’ fault.
Is this a joke? If they have a policy of removing reviews about safety, then one has no way of knowing whether others felt safe there from reading the reviews because those reviews are removed.
Your fear for your safety was only your perception — you were never threatened or actually unsafe. I agree with the removal of your review. Truthfully you sound histrionic.
Next time instead of saying it is unsafe, try describing the surroundings — graffiti on buildings, open air drug market across the street, whatever. Be specific.
Agree with this. OP, I'm sorry but you are coming off like a really annoying Karen who is mad that Airbnb is not willing to keep up your review that was probably filled with racist and classist dog whistles. Next time, stay in a more expensive place in a nicer neighborhood. It isn't the Airbnb host's fault that you were being cheap or have desires beyond your budget.
As a single woman , I would definitely want to read this poster’s review (perception or not)!
NP who has been following thread. Same, I would want to read the OP’s review.
Sometimes feeling unsafe is just that - a feeling, that you shouldn’t dismiss, and that should not be invalidated by trolls or anyone else with insults and name calling.
If you feel unsafe, you feel unsafe. It doesn’t mean you are histrionic or a Karen or racist or classist.
People should be more alarmed that Airbnb removes reviews.
Of course we want to know what the surrounding area is like, and not just how fluffy the pillows are.
I'm sorry, but I disagree. In March, we went to Philadelphia for spring break for my kids. We stayed about 5-8 blocks from where OP said she booked in Center City and we drove through the South Philly area where OP was scared. I agree that the area might be unsafe for single females after dark, my wife said she would not feel safe walking alone. That said, it did not feel any less safe than many other city locales in virtually every major city in America. I think OP's comments in the original thread and her comments to airBnB were overly exaggerated and suggested that this shoudl be listed as one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in urban America. It was a very common inner city neighborhood where it is not recommended to walk at night. I also think that area was pretty typical of the entire South Philly area. I don't think it was particularly more or less dangerous than other parts of that neighborhood and region. If OP was a single female or a small group of females going to a concert, she should have done better research and not rented anywhere in that neighborhood.
So, I think that airBnB did the right thing. Her comment was about the neighborhood and not the individual listing. The neighborhood is what it is. Patrons like OP should not be renting in that area/neighborhood, but that's up to those customers to research the area and realize that South Philly and Center City were not appropriate places for one or a few females who were not comfortable with inner city living to rent. But it isn't about the individual listing and shouldn't be on the individual listing. Renters need to do a better job vetting the neighborhoods they want to rent in.
I’m the PP you are apparently disagreeing with.
What specific statement are you disagreeing with?
the idea that if you feel unsafe, then you feel unsafe?
Or that some individuals, eg single female travellers, may indeed want reviews that describe the surrounding area and not just the fluffiness of pillows?
Or that we should be alarmed that Airbnb removes reviews?
These were the main points. Not sure why you begin with an apology - there is nothing apologetic in your reply. You even admit your wife said she would not feel safe walking alone at night there!
Well, I'm sorry now that I misphrased that. What I disagree with is that OPs review about the neighborhood was appropriate for the airBnB rental listing. The things that OP objected to were information about the neighborhood and not about the specific unit. Moreover, these were items for which the rental owner had no control over. The rental owner cannot change the crime statistics or the relative feeling of previous renters that the area was unsafe. The OP would need to search for the crime statistics or information about the Point Breeze neighborhood and get that information for herself.
Rental owners should not be required to either provide or justify information about the neighborhood in their rental listings. That's just outside of the scope of a rental. If you have such concerns, you need to investigate the neighborhood and zone yourself. AirBnB provides the location map on each rental that shows you the neighborhood. With the zoom feature, you can find the location within a one block radius so you can definitely do research on the neighborhood if this is relevant to your rental. The fact that she didn't do that research and then blamed the rental owner for not providing that information and blames airBnB from blocking such reviews regarding subjects outside of the owner's control is wholly OP's problem.
Ok...you must be an Airbnb owner.
It’s just my opinion, as a single female traveller, that Airbnb should allow reviewers to comment on safety of the location of the rental. Owners should be allowed to provide rebuttal if they want.
If Airbnb is deleting reviews, a very obvious disclaimer that reviews cannot comment on safety of location, and are removed, would be helpful.
I agree with this and I pointed it out earlier. But, I don't think OP's story lines up because I literally have seen (and shared!) reviews on airbnb that describe safety of an area in relative terms. And I shared one! AND you have airbnb hosts saying they CAN'T delete reviews. And I've *seen* 1 star reviews with my own eyes. All the time.
So it's not a matter of defending airbnb's policy of commenting on safety or not, because I don't believe OP saying they said that she wasn't allowed to do so. I don't believe that airbnb HAS a policy like that. I 100% think there's more to the story here and we're getting a sliver of what actually happened.
Well, we'll let everyone judge for themselves, this is the response I got from airbnb customer service:
Thank you for patiently waiting for my response.
In regard to this matter, please be advised that the review left was more on outside the listing and more on about the neighborhood which the Host doesn't have any control of it.
Thus, the review is removed.
|hope I was able to answer your questions and concerns. While I understand this may not be the outcome you were hoping for, I hope that you have many positive experiences with Airbnb moving forward.
Please let us know whether we can still be of help; otherwise, we'll close out this issue for the time being. I would be just right here for you! want you to know that you're not alone and I'm always here to help.
Wow, that is a poorly written response. Very unprofessional.
It might be poorly written, it it’s reasonable. Leaving a review about the “safety of the neighborhood” (OP didn’t even stay there so how would she know?) wasn’t a review about the Airbnb itself.
So pathetic, I stayed there long enough to know that a house on a block that was half abandoned wasn’t safe. The review was abut the safety of the rental, which is of course a function of its immediate surroundings.
This OP doesn't care that 90% of responses on TWO threads about this tell her she's wrong.
She's right, hell or high numbers of for rent signs
Airbnb host back again.
Nope and I'm just glad this one is still up so Jeff has to talk about it in his write ups
OP here, me too. Every potential renter should know airbnb deletes negative reviews.
And you delete threads on here that are counter to your narrative/agenda.
Anonymous wrote:I don’t know that the host should be responsible that a crime occurred 10 blocks away. And that was the basis for your feeling unsafe. But I insanely search Airbnb rentals to determine their location as close as possible. That way I’m not surprised.
Anonymous wrote:I finally heard back from Airbnb. My review was removed because safety of the neighborhood is beyond a host’s control. Yes they actually put that in writing.
That is terrible. Location/safety should be allowed in the reviews for an Airbnb or a hotel. A female tourist was stabbed to death last month in Ivy city Days Inn by a homeless person. She was in town for a concert. That was not the first time somebody got stabbed there. It would be negligent not allowing these incidents written up in the reviews.
Anonymous wrote:I finally heard back from Airbnb. My review was removed because safety of the neighborhood is beyond a host’s control. Yes they actually put that in writing.
That is terrible. Location/safety should be allowed in the reviews for an Airbnb or a hotel. A female tourist was stabbed to death last month in Ivy city Days Inn by a homeless person. She was in town for a concert. That was not the first time somebody got stabbed there. It would be negligent not allowing these incidents written up in the reviews.
Basically, reviews should be left up unless they are fake - typically someone who did not actually see the place because they were paid to write a positive review or someone who is lying because they are a competitor or have a personal vendetta against host unrelated to the rental.
I also don’t have a problem with writing or seeing “it felt unsafe to me” either. Read into it what you will, or not. Use critical appraisal and read other reviews, including “between the lines” to judge how much weight to place on that comment.
When reviews start getting censored and removed, it is problematic because you can’t trust the reviews moving forward.
Anonymous wrote:I finally heard back from Airbnb. My review was removed because safety of the neighborhood is beyond a host’s control. Yes they actually put that in writing.
Do you disagree? Obviously lots of other people have stayed there and don’t feel “unsafe”. Whatever feelings you had were not the Airbnb hosts’ fault.
Is this a joke? If they have a policy of removing reviews about safety, then one has no way of knowing whether others felt safe there from reading the reviews because those reviews are removed.
Your fear for your safety was only your perception — you were never threatened or actually unsafe. I agree with the removal of your review. Truthfully you sound histrionic.
Next time instead of saying it is unsafe, try describing the surroundings — graffiti on buildings, open air drug market across the street, whatever. Be specific.
Agree with this. OP, I'm sorry but you are coming off like a really annoying Karen who is mad that Airbnb is not willing to keep up your review that was probably filled with racist and classist dog whistles. Next time, stay in a more expensive place in a nicer neighborhood. It isn't the Airbnb host's fault that you were being cheap or have desires beyond your budget.
As a single woman , I would definitely want to read this poster’s review (perception or not)!
NP who has been following thread. Same, I would want to read the OP’s review.
Sometimes feeling unsafe is just that - a feeling, that you shouldn’t dismiss, and that should not be invalidated by trolls or anyone else with insults and name calling.
If you feel unsafe, you feel unsafe. It doesn’t mean you are histrionic or a Karen or racist or classist.
People should be more alarmed that Airbnb removes reviews.
Of course we want to know what the surrounding area is like, and not just how fluffy the pillows are.
I'm sorry, but I disagree. In March, we went to Philadelphia for spring break for my kids. We stayed about 5-8 blocks from where OP said she booked in Center City and we drove through the South Philly area where OP was scared. I agree that the area might be unsafe for single females after dark, my wife said she would not feel safe walking alone. That said, it did not feel any less safe than many other city locales in virtually every major city in America. I think OP's comments in the original thread and her comments to airBnB were overly exaggerated and suggested that this shoudl be listed as one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in urban America. It was a very common inner city neighborhood where it is not recommended to walk at night. I also think that area was pretty typical of the entire South Philly area. I don't think it was particularly more or less dangerous than other parts of that neighborhood and region. If OP was a single female or a small group of females going to a concert, she should have done better research and not rented anywhere in that neighborhood.
So, I think that airBnB did the right thing. Her comment was about the neighborhood and not the individual listing. The neighborhood is what it is. Patrons like OP should not be renting in that area/neighborhood, but that's up to those customers to research the area and realize that South Philly and Center City were not appropriate places for one or a few females who were not comfortable with inner city living to rent. But it isn't about the individual listing and shouldn't be on the individual listing. Renters need to do a better job vetting the neighborhoods they want to rent in.
I’m the PP you are apparently disagreeing with.
What specific statement are you disagreeing with?
the idea that if you feel unsafe, then you feel unsafe?
Or that some individuals, eg single female travellers, may indeed want reviews that describe the surrounding area and not just the fluffiness of pillows?
Or that we should be alarmed that Airbnb removes reviews?
These were the main points. Not sure why you begin with an apology - there is nothing apologetic in your reply. You even admit your wife said she would not feel safe walking alone at night there!
Well, I'm sorry now that I misphrased that. What I disagree with is that OPs review about the neighborhood was appropriate for the airBnB rental listing. The things that OP objected to were information about the neighborhood and not about the specific unit. Moreover, these were items for which the rental owner had no control over. The rental owner cannot change the crime statistics or the relative feeling of previous renters that the area was unsafe. The OP would need to search for the crime statistics or information about the Point Breeze neighborhood and get that information for herself.
Rental owners should not be required to either provide or justify information about the neighborhood in their rental listings. That's just outside of the scope of a rental. If you have such concerns, you need to investigate the neighborhood and zone yourself. AirBnB provides the location map on each rental that shows you the neighborhood. With the zoom feature, you can find the location within a one block radius so you can definitely do research on the neighborhood if this is relevant to your rental. The fact that she didn't do that research and then blamed the rental owner for not providing that information and blames airBnB from blocking such reviews regarding subjects outside of the owner's control is wholly OP's problem.
Ok...you must be an Airbnb owner.
It’s just my opinion, as a single female traveller, that Airbnb should allow reviewers to comment on safety of the location of the rental. Owners should be allowed to provide rebuttal if they want.
If Airbnb is deleting reviews, a very obvious disclaimer that reviews cannot comment on safety of location, and are removed, would be helpful.
I agree with this and I pointed it out earlier. But, I don't think OP's story lines up because I literally have seen (and shared!) reviews on airbnb that describe safety of an area in relative terms. And I shared one! AND you have airbnb hosts saying they CAN'T delete reviews. And I've *seen* 1 star reviews with my own eyes. All the time.
So it's not a matter of defending airbnb's policy of commenting on safety or not, because I don't believe OP saying they said that she wasn't allowed to do so. I don't believe that airbnb HAS a policy like that. I 100% think there's more to the story here and we're getting a sliver of what actually happened.
Well, we'll let everyone judge for themselves, this is the response I got from airbnb customer service:
Thank you for patiently waiting for my response.
In regard to this matter, please be advised that the review left was more on outside the listing and more on about the neighborhood which the Host doesn't have any control of it.
Thus, the review is removed.
|hope I was able to answer your questions and concerns. While I understand this may not be the outcome you were hoping for, I hope that you have many positive experiences with Airbnb moving forward.
Please let us know whether we can still be of help; otherwise, we'll close out this issue for the time being. I would be just right here for you! want you to know that you're not alone and I'm always here to help.
Wow, that is a poorly written response. Very unprofessional.
It might be poorly written, it it’s reasonable. Leaving a review about the “safety of the neighborhood” (OP didn’t even stay there so how would she know?) wasn’t a review about the Airbnb itself.
It would be highly influential to ANY perspective renter.
This is enough to make me never consider using AirBNB again.
I mean… exactly? OP used a lot of ridiculous language in her posts, so I assume her review was no different. Trashing an entire neighborhood could affect lot of hosts, not just this one. And OP hasn’t given any evidence this airbnb was unsafe other than her feelings and apparently vacant buildings and a shooting 10 blocks away. By that standard, nowhere in DC would be “safe” either.
Again, why lie? Three shootings within two blocks. Two shootings in Point Breeze that very night, five victims, including an eleven year old. Lots of empty and abandoned buildings surrounding the listing. That doesn’t describe any block I’d want to stay on, and I don’t believe most people would either.
Leave the review up and let people decide for themselves. Apparently you believe it wouldn’t influence anyone anyway.
OP, I get that you want to warn potential guests who, similar to you, haven’t bothered to look at the Point Breeze neighborhood before arrival. But I’ve certainly seen negative reviews before so it makes me wonder the kind of language you used in your review.
Oh yeah. It's actually crazy. Hang out on the Airbnb reddit forum and the hosts openly brag about getting reviews removed. It seems like Airbnb will delete a review for almost any old arbitrary reason. Absolutely nuts.
As a former Airbnb user this is another reason I will never be booking with this shady company again. They have less than zero respect for guests
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